After being sidelined for nearly three weeks, Connor McDavid returned to help the Edmonton Oilers to a massive 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues at Rogers Place on Wednesday (April 9).
Connor Brown scored twice for Edmonton, including the winning goal with just 21 seconds remaining in the third period. Viktor Arvidsson and Vasily Podkolzin also tallied for the Oilers.
Related: Oilers Win Chaotic 4-3 Game Over Blues in McDavid’s Return
The Blues got one goal apiece from Pavel Buchnevich, Jordan Kyrou and Ryan Suter. Goaltender Calvin Pickard made 23 saves for the Oilers, while his St. Louis counterpart Jordan Binnington stopped 19 shots.
With the victory, Edmonton improves its record to 45-28-5 through 78 games and moves closer to clinching a postseason berth in the Pacific Division.
Magnificent McDavid
For most of Wednesday, all signs pointed to McDavid missing a ninth straight game. Edmonton’s captain hadn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury against the Winnipeg Jets on March 20.
But then news broke less than three hours before faceoff that McDavid would be back in the lineup against St. Louis, providing a huge shot in the arm for an Oilers team that is currently missing several key players due to injury or illness. His impact was felt throughout Wednesday’s game.
While the Oilers managed to go 4-4-0 during McDavid’s absence, they struggled mightily to create high-danger opportunities, failing to score more than three goals in any of their last seven contests. McDavid picked up three assists on Wednesday alone.
On Edmonton’s first goal early in the second period, McDavid made a nice feed to Brown. Later in the middle frame, he outraced Blues defenceman Tyler Tucker to the puck, leading to Podkolzin’s goal. And on the game-winner, McDavid drove towards the back of the St. Louis net, drawing multiple defenders, before zipping a pass in front to Brown, who backhanded the puck past Binnington.
McDavid looked no worse for wear, leading all Oilers forwards in both shifts (24) and ice time (20:35). He finished the game with a plus-3 rating and was unquestionably the difference for Edmonton on this night.
Undermanned on the Backend
While McDavid was a surprise last-minute addition to the lineup, Oilers rearguard Jake Walman was an equally unexpected scratch by Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch. That left Edmonton with only five defencemen in its lineup, which is the fewest number of blueliners that the Oilers have dressed for a game since 2011.
The Oilers managed to survive being a man down on the backend, thanks to yeoman’s work from the defensive quintet of Evan Bouchard, Ty Emberson, Brett Kulak, Darnell Nurse, and Troy Stecher. No Edmonton blueliner played less than 17 minutes, while Bouchard, Kulak and Nurse all logged over 28 minutes. Nurse, who finished with two assists and a plus-3 rating, was on the ice for an incredible 38 shifts.
Walman’s removal from the lineup caught most off guard. The 29-year-old rearguard hadn’t missed any games since being acquired by the Oilers via trade last month, and he took part in the morning skate on Wednesday.
“It was felt that he was questionable. He did go on the ice, and just didn’t feel quite like he was ready, and felt that the time off would be beneficial for him,” Knoblauch said during his post-game media availability. “And certainly with the timing of where we are right now with only a week or so away from starting playoffs, we don’t want to make anything worse or have somebody sitting on the shelf when that doesn’t have to happen.”
Playoff Picture Grows Clearer
Edmonton’s win, coupled with an overtime loss by the Calgary Flames against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, leaves the Oilers on the cusp of their sixth consecutive trip to the postseason, which would be the second-longest playoff streak in franchise history.
The Oilers currently sit third in the Pacific Division with 95 points, now seven points ahead of the fourth-place Flames. One point either gained by the Oilers or lost by the Flames will result in Edmonton clinching a spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Calgary and Edmonton each have four games remaining on their respective schedules.
Meanwhile, Edmonton has pulled within two points of the Los Angeles Kings for second in the Pacific Division. Los Angeles has five games left to play, including a visit to Rogers Place on April 14. The teams that finish second and third in the division will face each other in the first round of the postseason, with second place having home advantage.
The Oilers next play on Friday (April 11), when they host the San Jose Sharks. Los Angeles is back in action tonight (April 10) for a home game against Anaheim, while Calgary’s next game is also on Friday, against the Minnesota Wild at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
